| Born
in 1823, Martin Short married Matilda
Norman in Bakersfield, Vermont in 1844 and
sometime before 1849 removed to Macoupin
County, Illinois where it is indicated by the
1860 census that their daughters - Mary,
Elizabeth, and Eunice were born. By 1862 the family had
removed from Illinois to Saratoga, Winona
County, Minnesota where son George was
born.
On 22 January
1864 Martin who was a farmer, enlisted in Co.
K of the 9th Regiment of the Minnesota
Volunteer Infantry. The pension papers state
he was born in Franklin, Vermont, had black
eyes, brown hair, dark complexion and was
5’7½ inches tall. His enlistment papers
show he signed his name with an
"X." The Surgeon of Board of
Enrollment was signed as William W. Mayo.
(See link below)
According to
an affidavit signed in April of 1867 in
Winona County, Minnesota by John and Lucinda
Waltham of Olmstead County pertaining to
Matilda's application for widow's pension
benefits, it states that they were:
"present at the marriage of Matilda
Short fomerly of Bakersfield, Franklin, Vt
when she was married to Martin Short formerly
of St. Denis, Canada East and further depose
and say that the said Short and Matilda Short
were married by John Morse, then a Justice of
the Peace of Bakersfield ..."
This adds some
credence to the family speculation that
Martin was French. There were family stories
passed down through the generations that
Martin was born in France, and that the
original name was Courte/Court and that he
had kept a journal written in French. It is
possible, however, that being of St. Denois,
he was indeed French and possibly wrote in
French as well.
It seems
somewhat odd that he enlisted at the age of
forty-one, and sadly so as he was among the
infantry and cavalry Confederate Maj. Gen.
Nathan Bedford Forrest encountered as he set
about to destroy the Nashville &
Chattanooga Railroad which was carrying
supplies and men to Major General William T.
Sherman in Georgia. The Rebels loss an
estimated 495 men while the Union suffered
approximately 2,105 losses during this battle
fought at Brices Cross Roads on the fateful
day of June 10, 1864.
The Rebels
captured the supplies, ammunition, cannons
and wagons, and Martin was among those taken
prisoner. He was sent to Andersonville Prison
in Georgia. While there, he died of scurvy on
the 17th day of August 1864, and left behind
his wife and four young children.
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